Church History · 1867

The Anglican Communion and the First Lambeth Conference

In 1867 the Archbishop of Canterbury invited Anglican bishops from around the world to Lambeth Palace in London. Seventy six came. That first Lambeth Conference gave shape to the Anglican Communion, a worldwide family of churches that grew out of the Church of England and is often called the third largest Christian communion.

Read it in the Bible: John 17:20-21 Ephesians 4:3-6 Matthew 28:19-20

The Anglican Communion is a worldwide family of churches that grew out of the Church of England. It took shape in 1867, when Archbishop of Canterbury Charles Longley invited every Anglican bishop in the world to meet at Lambeth Palace, his London home. Seventy six bishops came to that first Lambeth Conference. Today the Communion has about 85 million members in more than 160 countries, which is why it is often called the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Each member church governs itself, but they share a common history, a prayer book tradition and a bond with Canterbury.

What Is the Anglican Communion?

Anglican means English. The Church of England separated from Rome in the 1530s under Henry VIII, and over the next 300 years English settlers, soldiers and missionaries carried it around the globe. As colonies grew into nations, their churches became independent too. The Episcopal Church in the United States formed in 1789. Churches followed in Canada, Australia, India, Africa and many other places.

That raised a question. If these churches no longer answered to the English government, what held them together? The answer became the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of independent churches called provinces that are in communion with each other and with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Why Was the First Lambeth Conference Called in 1867?

The push came from Canada. In 1865 Canadian bishops wrote to Archbishop Longley. They were worried that court rulings in England and changes in church law could leave churches overseas drifting apart, each with its own rules. They asked for a meeting of all the bishops.

There was also tension in South Africa. Bishop John Colenso of Natal had written books questioning parts of the Old Testament, and he was removed by his own archbishop, Robert Gray of Cape Town. The bishops discussed that case at Lambeth. Longley was careful to say the conference was not a council that could make laws for everyone. It was a meeting for counsel and fellowship.

What Happened at the First Lambeth Conference?

The bishops met on September 24, 1867, for four days, mostly in private sessions. Some English bishops stayed home because they worried the meeting would act like a church parliament. The bishops prayed together, discussed shared problems and issued letters to their churches. The most important result was the meeting itself. It showed that Anglicans in many lands thought of themselves as one family.

Lambeth Conferences have met roughly every ten years since. The 1888 conference adopted the Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral, four marks it saw as the basis for unity: the Holy Scriptures, the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the historic office of bishop.

Who Leads the Anglican Communion?

Unlike the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion has no single head with authority over everyone. The Archbishop of Canterbury is called first among equals. He or she invites bishops to Lambeth and serves as a focus of unity, but has no power to give orders outside England. In 2026 Sarah Mullally became the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Besides the archbishop and the Lambeth Conference, the Communion has two other bodies: the Anglican Consultative Council, which includes lay people and clergy, and the Primates' Meeting, which gathers the senior bishop of each province.

What Do Anglicans Believe?

Anglicans hold the Bible as containing all things necessary for salvation, recite the historic creeds and celebrate baptism and Holy Communion. Their worship comes from the Book of Common Prayer tradition, first written by Thomas Cranmer in 1549. Their Thirty Nine Articles from 1571 sum up the Reformation teaching of the Church of England.

Anglicans range from Anglo Catholic parishes with incense and processions to evangelical churches with worship bands and Bible teaching. That wide tent is part of the Anglican identity, and it can also be a source of strain.

The Anglican Communion Today

The center of the Communion has moved south. A hundred years ago most Anglicans were in Britain. Today the largest provinces are in Africa, and the Church of Nigeria alone has millions of members. In recent decades, disagreements over marriage, sexuality and the authority of Scripture have strained relationships. Many provinces in the Global South have formed fellowships like GAFCON, and some say they no longer look to Canterbury for leadership. Others remain committed to the Communion's traditional structures. How this develops is still unfolding.

Why It Matters for You Today

The Anglican Communion is one of the great stories of how the gospel spread around the world. A church that began in one small island nation now worships in hundreds of languages, and many of its most faithful members live in places that were once mission fields. That is what Jesus prayed for.

I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20 to 21

Unity is hard work in every church, whether it has bishops or not. Paul's advice still fits.

and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

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Questions People Ask

What is the Anglican Communion?

It is a worldwide fellowship of independent churches that grew out of the Church of England. Its member churches share a common heritage and are in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. It has about 85 million members.

When was the first Lambeth Conference?

The first Lambeth Conference met at Lambeth Palace in London starting September 24, 1867. Archbishop Charles Longley called it after Canadian bishops asked for a meeting. Seventy six bishops attended.

Is the Anglican Communion the third largest Christian church?

It is often called the third largest Christian communion, after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Some counts rank other groups differently, but the Anglican Communion is one of the largest families of churches in the world.

Does the Archbishop of Canterbury lead all Anglicans?

The Archbishop of Canterbury is first among equals and a focus of unity, not a ruler. Each Anglican province governs itself. The archbishop has direct authority only in the Church of England.

Sources

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